Safety and savings are holiday shopping mantras

Feeling frugal this holiday season? It’s OK — so are most American consumers, according to numerous surveys.

As the shopping season gets into full swing this week, here are some ways to save — and some ways to be safe.

First, the savings. Whether it’s online or at the mall, there are lots of ways to trim your holiday spending.

One of the easiest: Start early and work from a list for each person. You’ll be less inclined to panic on last-minute spending or overdo the individual gifts.

And Thanksgiving can be a great occasion to divvy up names so everyone buys for one special person rather than all 17 family members.

Here are some other tips:

Think creatively. One family we know used a recycled theme last year: Every gift had to be purchased from a used bookstore, thrift shop, consignment store or other “gently used” boutique. Wrapping had to be something recycled.

Carry cash. When it’s gone, you’re done shopping for the day. And using cash means you’ll be less likely to splurge or fritter it away on those small, frivolous “what-was-I-thinking” purchases.

If you’re using a credit card, leave your checkbook and extra credit cards at home, in case your purse or wallet is lost or stolen.

Check your limit. With so many credit card companies lowering their limits in recent months, you might not have as much shopping capacity as you think.

Read your monthly statement or call the company to see whether your credit limit has changed. If you exceed it, you could be hit with fees or penalties.

“It used to be there was one or the other,” said Mike Allen, founder and “chief executive shopper” of Shopping-Bargains.com, a coupon Web site. “This year, I’m seeing a lot more of both combined: free shipping and 15 percent off a $100 order, for instance. They’re ‘double-incentivizing’ you to buy.”

He also recommends looking at the online minimums for discounts. If you’re buying $65 worth of sweaters, for instance, it might be worth bumping up your order to $75 to take advantage of free shipping. And try to group multiple orders from a single retailer, so you’re only paying shipping and handling fees once.

Aside from deals, online shoppers also should be on the lookout for the dangers posed by cyber-crooks.

“The bad guys know that at holiday times people are engaging in more Internet activity — looking for low prices on gifts, looking for bargains,” said Dave Marcus, director of security research for McAfee, the Santa Clara-based security software company.

There’s also the seasonal flurry of fake job sites offering “Earn More Money for Holiday Shopping,” which Marcus said are often money-laundering sites for cyber-criminals.

That means you need to be vigilant about where you shop and to whom you give personal financial details.

And anyone can get hit. “It’s happened to me,” said Joanne McNabb, head of the state’s Office of Privacy Protection, who said she got snagged while buying flowers online.

McNabb’s advice: “Read the fine print before you accept anything online. And monitor your credit card statement for any unfamiliar charges. Even if it’s a small amount that you don’t understand, question it.”

To protect yourself online, here are additional tips:

Don’t click on any links sent to you. Instead, type in the retailer’s name or the Web site address yourself. “It takes a few extra seconds but saves you from potential identity theft or credit card theft,” McAfee’s Marcus said.

Beware of “too good” deals. If they sound too good to be true, chances are they’re fake. And look out for too-low prices on upscale, luxury brands such as Cartier or Tiffany. Scamsters know consumers are price-shopping, so be certain the Web site you’re perusing is legitimate.

This time of year, phony online auction sites are especially prevalent, said Marcus, who’s seen pseudo Craigslist sites and phony eBay Web sites.

Beware of “phishing.” It could be a phony FedEx invoice or a heartfelt appeal from a real-sounding charity. Official-looking e-mails with company or charity logos can pop up asking you to verify credit card and other financial information. Even if you think the e-mail is legitimate, contact the company yourself to verify the request.

Don’t shop in public. Avoid using open Wi-Fi connections while making purchases online. Use a secure network.

Update your security software. Don’t assume it’s being done for you. Click on your computer’s security icon and hit “Auto Update” to be sure it’s automatically updating with the latest protection against viruses and other gremlins.

Mix up your passwords. Don’t use the same passwords for online accounts. Use a combination of letters, numbers and symbols.